Biman fined

The nat'l flag carrier took exempted travel tax from four Umrah passengers

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has fined Biman Bangladesh Airlines Tk 60,000 for taking exempted travel tax from four people who went to Saudi Arabia from Sylhet to perform Umrah this year.

Biman was penalised on Wednesday following a complaint from the four. The national flag carrier was also directed to return the tax money to them, said Mohammad Foyez Ullah, assistant director of the directorate in Sylhet.

Of the four, Aminur Rahman Fahim filed the complaint on behalf of them in February this year. In the complaint, he said Biman took additional charge from them, saying that they could not fly to Saudi Arabia with tickets bought at the promotional price.

Besides, Biman also took travel tax from them though the government declared a tax exemption for the people who go for Umrah.

Fahim told The Daily Star that they went to Jeddah from Sylhet Osmani International Airport on January 7 this year for Umrah after purchasing the tickets online. They were charged extra and the travel tax was taken from them by the Biman authorities at the airport before their flight to Saudi Arabia.

Foyez Ullah said Biman was instructed by the directorate that those who went to perform Umrah could not travel with tickets bought at the promotional price. But it was not clearly mentioned on the Biman website.

He said they told Biman that it should clearly state that tickets bought at the promotional price would not be applicable for those travelling to perform Umrah.